


Her Shadow

by kazeshinobi



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Assassination Plot(s), F/M, Gen, not too shippy but there's hints of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 20:08:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5305121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazeshinobi/pseuds/kazeshinobi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The cost doesn't matter; his only goal is to keep Lady Corrin safe. Nothing holds the same weight as the life of his master.</p><p>Not even his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is gonna be short-ish multi chap fic! Again, it's not overly shippy but there's hints of hidden feelings sprinkled without. Jakob is always fun to write, whether he's being a sharp-tongued jerk or an overprotective nanny. :P
> 
> My Corrin's not really like defualt F!Corrin/Kamui: she's a bit of a loudmouth and pretty confident so their dynamic is a little different.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! Next chapter's coming quite soon.

“Lady Corrin…”

“Ooh, this one looks nice!”

“Lady Corrin!”

Corrin swiveled her head, long dark curls nearly hitting her in the face.

“Yes, Jakob?”

“Must you move about so… gaily?”

“Pfah! This is how I normally move!” Corrin winked, earning a resigned sigh from her butler as she continued to survey the array of accessories on display in front of her, jewels twinkling in the sunlight.

Jakob pinched the bridge of his nose, willing his anxiety away.

“Milady, with the current situation as it is-“

“Jakob, I appreciate the concern. But do you expect me to hide in the castle, quivering behind a locked door with the blankets over my head?”

“No, I cannot see Milady doing that…” Jakob said with a wry twitch of his lips.

“Then, I shall go about my business as usual” Lady Corrin smiled, turning back to the stall vendor and acquiring about the price of a clip that had caught her fancy.

Jakob huffed a laugh, crossing his arms in fond exasperation.

They were currently in one of the more high class areas of Nohr (and they were few and far between these days), Lady Corrin picking out some new accessories for a dinner the Nohrian siblings had been invited to.

It might have seemed quite mundane on paper, but in reality Jakob’s pulse increased with every wide open area they visited, every stranger that walked too close to his master, every alley that was a little too dark for his liking…

He had been like this, constantly on edge, ever since they received the warning.

The warning from their intelligence spies that there was a plot against Lady Corrin’s life.

 

* * *

 Sadly enough, there wasn’t too much surprise about the assassination warning; all the Nohrian siblings had been threatened and plotted against multiple times over the years, especially as Xander rose to prominence. They had always managed to stay ahead of any potential assassins however; they did have the finest intelligence gatherers in the kingdom at their will.

The real worry was that the target was Lady Corrin; having been out of sight for most of her life in the Nohrian palace, she was never subjected to any such things. Even worse was that Lady Corrin grew tired of waiting behind the castle walls and insisted on continuing her usual schedule. After weeks of silence on all fronts, she was allowed to resume her normal lifestyle as long as she was accompanied.

Hence Jakob’s trips to the marketplace, his supervision of her weapon training and his careful screening of any conversations she shared with others. That irritating green Hoshidan ninja had also recently taken up accompanying them from afar, hidden from Lady Corrin’s eyes. As loath as he was to compliment the new member of Corrin’s entourage, he was constant source of backup if need be and held connections to information on Hoshidan rebel groups.

It was almost tempting to point him out to Lady Corrin one day; she would give him an earful about not being a child. The thought was amusing; he was sick of the ninja acting like his master’s only subordinate, proclaiming himself as Corrin’s official retainer and promising to protect her with his life.

Bah! Jakob had been looking after her LONG before that green whelp arrived. He was Lady Corrin’s most trusted, valued and loyal companion. None could compare! He stamped down the feelings of irritation in his chest, willing himself to calm. He had been tense these entire past few weeks, mindful of hidden dangers that could possibly cause harm to his master. He had been seeing imaginary assassins and thugs in every corner as of late.

It went without saying that losing Lady Corrin would destroy him completely; without her, he had little else to exist for.

He shuddered, refocusing his intense gaze on Lady Corrin’s back. Best not dwell on those dark thoughts and do what he could; he would never let anyone or anything lay hands on his master.

“Well, I think that’s enough for today. Sorry for dragging you out here, Jakob” Lady Corrin said, turning around and flashing him an apologetic smile.

“It’s no trouble at all, Milady. Your trust in me to accompany you is an honor, not a chore” he replied, returning her smile with a genuine one of his own.

“How you can say that sort of thing without laughing is beyond me…” Corrin teased, taking a last look around at the stalls around them to see if she had missed anything she needed.

“It is the truth, Milady.”

She shook her head and laughed, putting away her new wares carefully in her bag. Together, they left the marketplace to head back to the castle; the princess strolling confidently ahead and her shadow trailing behind her, watching every corner.

They had enjoyed peace thus far, but he would be prepared when the day came.

Jakob had never particularly been mindful of his mess of a life, having few little positive memories that weren’t associated with Corrin.

If the situation they currently dreaded arose, he would be prepared to give anything to protect her.

Anything at all.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more after this. Sorry it took so long... I lost all motivation to write for a while. 
> 
> Also, the next chapter has Conquest endgame spoilers. Please don't read if you haven't finished the game yet.

After a fairly long carriage ride, the royal siblings had finally arrived at one of Nestra's most decadent dinner halls for a banquet. Jakob stood proudly in the main hall, watching the royal siblings chatting idly at the glittering dinner table they were currently seated at. The siblings had been allowed to take a few choice servants with them on their trip and Corrin had bestowed him the honour of accompanying them to the grand building. It was just as well; he would've been tearing his hair out back at the castle, knowing his lady was at such a high-profile location with assassins on the loose.

Jakob shot intense glares at the various nobles surrounding the siblings. With this many people in the area, any sort of attempt on Lady Corrin's life would have to be sneaky. He had been watching every nook and cranny, every shadow since his arrival, to the point where Lady Corrin informed him that he 'looked permanently constipated'.

Still, he wasn't going to relax any time soon. There had been a growing sense of dread in his stomach since their arrival. Jakob considered himself quite a confident man, but these latest events had him on edge, filled with paranoia and expecting the worst to happen at any given moment. With the loud conversation of the diners filling the air and the smell of good food surrounding him, it was the perfect atmosphere of relaxation. Yet still, the dread in his heart persisted.

He shook his head, clearing his mind of doubt. As long as he drew breath, he would protect Corrin. That's all he needed to know tonight.

He returned his focus to the table, hiding a smile as he saw Lady Corrin chatting happily to her sister, Elise. His master looked radiant; clad in a dress of midnight-blue with the hair accessory of the previous shopping trip to match. Her ruby eyes sparkled with mirth and her black hair shone like the glossy feathers of a raven in the night.

He coughed lowly, redirecting his eyes as he felt his cheeks colour slightly. He was here to protect her, not ogle her like some tactless oaf!

He instead turned his focus to some of the other servants present in the hall; mostly foreign to him, which worried him slightly. The majority of them looked well trained and immaculate, but not knowing their true allegiances made his skin crawl...

Was he being paranoid?

He stared at the faces of the people serving the royals, focusing on the minute features of each. They all seemed like ordinary servants, hardly worth fretting over-

Wait.

The man who was currently pouring the champagne... there was something in his face that set his mood on edge. He looked far too rough for a well-kept Nestran servant, with a coarse appearance that ill matched the other waiters in the hall. He wore the same uniform, but there was a hardness there that was at odds with the sleek glamour that usually came with the city.

In fact, he could barely pour the champagne right! There was no grace, no finesse that would be expected of a Nestran. How long had this man been working here?

_Did he work here at all?_

Anxiety was swirling in his mind, making him light headed. Was he being paranoid? How could he accuse someone with no evidence? If he was just being overprotective and accused an actual Nestran servant of treachery, it would be a stain on his lady's honour. She would be blamed for her retainer's incompetence! Her reputation would be sullied by a scandalous dinner party!

And yet... his gut feeling was screaming at him, to do something! His gloved hands were shaking, his feet itched to walk over to the table and banish his fears. He stole one desperate glance at his master. She was barely paying attention to the world around her, chatting with her siblings and starting on the soup entrée. Her eyes were completely focused on the wild hand gestures of her younger sister, completely ignorant of the suspicious man right beside her.

It was times like these when Jakob was supposed to step in. To protect her.

Screaming internally, Jakob walked casually up to the table from his place near the wall, putting on a pleasant smile despite the turmoil in his heart and approaching the gold dinner table.

"Ah, Jakob! Was there something amiss?" Lady Corrin looked up with a smile, noticing his arrival.

"Excuse me, Lady Corrin. I just remembered you saying how low your tolerance for alcohol was on the way here. I wanted to check the strength of the champagne!" Jakob replied with a bow, pleased at his rushed excuse. She had actually said such a thing to him and it made for a fine reason to turn towards the man in question.

The servant looked slightly taken aback, Jakob's sharp eyes noticing his hand tightening on the bottle's neck.

"Nestran champagne is u-usually of mild strength, Milady..." the servant in question stated, looking like a deer in headlights with all eyes on him.

"But you're not sure about this particular make?" Jakob pressed him, eyebrows narrowing in suspicion.

"I... shall go inquire with the cook, my good man!" the waiter said, looking like he wanted to bolt. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

Was Jakob right? Was this man so nervous because Jakob had correctly identified him as an outsider? Or was he simply a new hire who was nervous at the thought of serving the royal family of Nohr?

There was only one thing for it.

"My lady, if you don't mind my boldness... may I try it first and make sure it's suitable?" he smiled glibly.

"Jakob, it's not really a big-" Lady Corrin started, trailing off as she saw the corners of his mouth twitch downwards.

"Well... if you insist! Thanks, Jakob!"

Smoothly interrupting the waiter, he picked up the fine glass carefully and took a large, measured gulp.

It was sweet with a hint of bitter undertones and probably the finest thing he'd ever drunk in his life. It also seemed perfectly harmless, going doing smooth and leaving a fruity after-taste on his tongue.

"I think this will suit my lady quite well, thank you!" Jakob said, placing the glass carefully down on the table again.

"I am most sorry for the fuss..." he continued, bowing to the now bewildered servant.

"Ah, it's not a problem... I shall send the compliments to the host!" the waiter said, rushing away in relief.

"Haha, I think you might have scared him with your nannying, Jakob!" Lady Corrin teased, swirling her spoon around in the remains of the soup.

"Forgive my brashness, milady. I want you to enjoy tonight as much as possible..." he said humbly, feeling relieved on several different levels.

There was no imaginary plot to poison his liege and she wasn't cross with him. No harm done, it seemed. Now he could leave her to enjoy her meal in peace and return to his station with a lightened heart.

The room lurched violently when he took a step back. He faltered, leg trembling. What-?!

A horrible pain ripped through his stomach, making him cry out and grasp his abdomen, eyes watering.

All of the nobles were now looking at him with concern, but he could barely pay attention with how quickly he's lost feeling in his legs, how quickly his arms seem to lose all strength. He lurched forward, smashing into the table and sending cutlery and plates flying through the air, the yells of nobles echoing in his ears like angry hornets. Corrin immediately jumped out of her chair and ran towards him, face contorted with fear as she held him up, eyes wide in terror.

"Jakob? JAKOB?!"

"Your d-drink...po..i..son..." Jakob rasped out, the words barely escaping his burning throat.

He'd never been in this much pain in his life. He could hear the screams of the guests and the sounds of glasses being smashed. As he fell to the floor, writhing in agony, he could vaguely see the people fleeing to the exists, the security making their way through the crowds with weapons unsheathed, screaming orders.

His entire body is aflame and yet he can not feel anything at the same time. He's becoming light-headed. He can't move his fingers anymore.

The last thing he registers is Lady Corrin screaming his name.

Then,

it is dark.


End file.
